FSU Linebackers Coach Joins Chicago Bears As Part Of Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship

The program's objective is to give coaches the opportunity to observe, participate, gain experience, and ultimately gain a full-time NFL coaching position.

Florida State linebackers coach Randy Shannon is going to have a busier summer than what was once expected. On Monday, the Chicago Bears announced that Shannon and Eddie George would be joining the club's staff during OTAs as part of the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.

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The franchise will have six more hires working with the franchise during veteran minicamp and training camp. The program's objective is to give coaches the opportunity to observe, participate, gain experience, and ultimately gain a full-time NFL coaching position.

Chicago will hold OTAs on May 22-23, May 25, May 30-June 1, and June 5-8. That means Shannon shouldn't be effected when Florida State hosts official visits during the first weekend of the month.

"We are very excited to welcome these two highly talented coaches in Eddie and Randy. Allowing them to join our staff during our OTAs enables us to offer this unique opportunity to current college coaches during their offseason," Head Coach Matt Eberflus said. "We are confident that these coaches will be great assets to our team during their time here, and we are looking forward to learning from them as well."

Shannon brings 31 years of coaching experience to the Bears OTA staff. He currently serves as the co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Florida State University, a role he was promoted to prior to the 2022 season. In his first year at FSU, Shannon served as the school's senior defensive analyst (2021).

In 31 years of coaching, Shannon has directly tutored nine first-team All-Americans, 79 all-conference performers and 74 NFL draft picks, including 21 first-round selections.

Prior to joining the FSU program in 2021, Shannon was a defensive coordinator at the University of Central Florida for three seasons (2018-20) after serving in the same capacity for the University of Florida during the 2017 season. In his first two seasons at UF (2015-16), Shannon was the assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach. While at Florida, Shannon helped the Gators win 33 games and two SEC Eastern Division titles. In 2016, he coached a defense that ranked second in the country in pass defense and fifth nationally in total defense.

Prior to his stop in Gainesville, Shannon served as the associate head coach/linebackers at the University of Arkansas for two seasons (2013-14) and the linebackers coach at Texas Christian University for one (2012).

Before his move to Fort Worth in 2012, Shannon spent 20 years coaching in Miami. He originally began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Miami for the 1991 national championship team before coaching the defensive line in 1992 and linebackers from 1993-97. In 1998, he accepted a position with the Miami Dolphins as a defensive assistant coach (1998-99) before becoming Dolphins linebackers coach in 2000.

In 2001, Shannon returned to The U as the Hurricanes' defensive coordinator, a role he held for six seasons before his promotion to head coach in 2007. In his four seasons (2007-10) as head coach, he led the Hurricanes to 28 wins and three bowl game appearances.

Shannon was a four-year letterman at linebacker for the University of Miami and starter on Miami's 1987 national championship team. He was selected by the Cowboys in the 11th round of the 1989 draft and became the first rookie to start at outside linebacker for Dallas since 1963.

*Portions of article according to release from Chicago Bears

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